The cliff: element of honesty

Applejack tells Twilight to let go.

"What I'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you'll be safe."

— Applejack

The ponies enter the Everfree Forest. When they are walking on a mountainside, a cloud of purple smoke triggers a landslide. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash catch Rarity and Pinkie Pie, but Twilight slides to the edge of a steep cliff. Applejack assures Twilight that she will be safe if she lets go of the cliff. Twilight lets go, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy catch her.

The manticore: element of kindness

Fluttershy shows compassion to the manticore, winning its trust.

"Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness."

— Fluttershy

An angry manticore confronts the ponies. When the other ponies try to forcefully subdue it, Fluttershy tells them to stop. She kindly approaches the manticore. It shows her a thorn stuck in its paw. She removes the thorn and the grateful manticore licks her mane. The thorn dissolves into purple smoke, which zooms away.

The forest: element of laughter

Pinkie Pie teaches her friends how to banish their fears.

"You'll see that they can't hurt you; just laugh to make them disappear!"

— Pinkie Pie

The cloud of purple smoke makes monstrous faces appear on the trees around the ponies. All the ponies except for Pinkie are scared. Pinkie sings the Laughter Song and teaches her friends to laugh at their fears. The friends' laughter turns the trees back to normal.

The sea serpent: element of generosity

Rarity helps a serpent with a mustache problem.

"I cannot have this crime against fabulosity go uncorrected!"

— Rarity

The ponies come across a river blocked by a sea serpent. The sea serpent is upset that a "tacky little cloud of purple smoke" whisked by and tore off half his mustache. Rarity generously donates her own tail to repair the sea serpent's mustache. The sea serpent, extremely pleased and grateful, helps the ponies cross the river.

The Shadowbolts: element of loyalty

The Shadowbolts test Rainbow Dash's loyalty by offering her fame and power.

When the castle ruins come into view, Twilight races excitedly toward them but nearly falls into a gorge, prompting Rainbow Dash to save her by the tail. As the ponies discover, the bridge leading to the ruins is broken. When Rainbow Dash flies to the other side to fix the bridge, three Pegasi appear and invite her to be captain of the Shadowbolts, their group of elite fliers. When Rainbow Dash learns that she must abandon her friends to join the Shadowbolts, she turns down the Shadowbolts and ties the bridge so her friends can cross. The Shadowbolts turn into purple smoke, which slithers away.

Nightmare Moon: element of magic

The power of friendship!

The ponies enter the castle ruins and find five stone orbs, which Twilight believes are the first five Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon creates a purple whirlwind that teleports Twilight and the orbs to another tower. Nightmare Moon and Twilight face off, resulting in Nightmare Moon shattering the orbs in front of her. The five ponies run into the hall and comfort Twilight. Twilight realizes that the spirits of the Elements are present, and she explains how her friends represent the elements of honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, and loyalty. The fragments of the orbs begin to circle the friends. A stone orb magically appears over Twilight, and she declares:

"You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"

— Twilight Sparkle

Meet Luna, Celestia's little sister.

The orb fragments form golden jeweled necklaces on the five friends' necks, and Twilight's orb becomes a crown. The Elements glow and the ponies are lifted into the air. A rainbow-colored double helix envelopes Nightmare Moon, and the room is flooded with light. When the light fades, the friends discover that the gems on their necklaces resemble their cutie marks, and Rarity's tail has magically grown back.

Princess Celestia appears with the sunrise and explains that Twilight had the magic to defeat Nightmare Moon as long as she let true friendship into her heart. Nightmare Moon returns to her original form, Princess Luna. The friends learn that Luna is Celestia's younger sister, and the sisters reconcile and reunite after one thousand years of separation.

Twilight's new mission

Princess Celestia tells Twilight to study the magic of friendship.

Back in Ponyville, Pinkie throws a party to celebrate the royal sisters' reunion. When Twilight tells Celestia that she doesn't want to leave her new friends, Celestia gives her a new mission: to continue studying the magic of friendship in Ponyville and report back her findings. Twilight promises to study harder than ever, much to the delight of her new friends and the citizens of Ponyville.

Quotes

Twilight Sparkle: I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them... I don't even know what they do!

Nightmare Moon: You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!

Twilight Sparkle: But it did! A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends! You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!